Fields - Contrasts: Urban Roar to Country Peace

Esoteric Recordings are for me, one of the best labels since discovering the reissues of the first two Rare Bird albums, Supersister, Burnin’ Red Ivanhoe, Julian’s Treatment, Marsupilami, and one of my favorites, Web. One of the bands that I almost thought they released only one album was a group called Fields. Since I championed their sole self-titled debut album back in October of 2010, I thought they could have gone on to be bigger than Yes or ELP.

Well here we are in 2015 and this year, something has crawled through into the other side of the room. It is Fields unreleased second album and follow up to their sole self-titled debut which could have been the next big thing, but then shelved for 41 years because of the changing of the guard in the Music Business and management changes which can be a real hassle. Not to mention, never listening the entire album from start to finish and never considering another follow up. Again, it can be a big gigantic bummer.

They were three quarters done and it’s one of the reasons what the album could have sounded like. And now Fields second album entitled, Contrasts: Urban Roar to Country Peace, is perhaps one of the most touching and powerful hidden treasure gems that Esoteric Recordings have released. From the moment I put the CD on, I knew that something brilliant is about to happen.

Vocalist and Bassist Alan Barry left the band to pursue a solo career because he knew he couldn’t be in a group and preferred to embark to work on his own. And soon, the late Frank Farrell of Supertramp entered the line-up. The band recorded their second album at CBS Studios in London at Theobald Street 43 years ago and it may not be their best album, but it is a treat discovering the hidden treasure of what could have been their follow up. It has touches of Prog, Jazz, and Classical music thanks to Graham Field’s keyboard work. 

On tracks like the Organ improvisation Put Out to Grass, it shows Graham in a symphonic mood as he Frank and Andy help out to set the tempo for an amazing groove and it almost resembles a tribute to both Cressida and The Nice. Opener, Let Her Sleepbegins with sirens blaring and bursting into a blaring sound that Graham does followed by McCulloch’s drum work and that little bit of a Bach-sque concerto that Field does is mind-blowing before Frank sings “One more knock/Yes it’s one more shock/Like the great tick-tock/Of a giant clock/If there’s someone there/Let him hear my prayer."

It is such a powerful line and almost a plea for someone to give the person some sleep before the clock goes off with the bells. Then it segues into the ascending wonders of Wedding Bells which gives Andy McCulloch a chance to go into some powerful lines on his drums and not to mention the string section to close it off at the end while the tempo changes into a moment of a Piano ballad as Frank sings his heart out on Someone to Trust in which it’s an homage to John Lennon’s songwriting and with touching beauty with an emotional style on The Old Canal.

But the music changes from Classical and Ballads into a driven Jazz Fusion rhythm as they go into a driven beat on Wonder Why. Frank Farrell’s bass line, Andy’s paced drumming, Graham’s keyboard going into major and minor chord changes and synth solos followed by the vocals singing which almost reminded me of The Northettes, gives it a perfect transcendental experience.

Fields then goes into a joyous and high-spirited wonder with an enthusiastic feel on how Music Was Their Game before closing off with a lukewarm acoustic folk turned into a pastoral adventure on Storm. At times it reminded me of the Trespass-era and bits of Yes thrown in with the climatic thunders between organ, bass, guitar, female vocals, synth and Frank’s voice featuring stop and go time signature as Graham goes into the fanfare rhythm on his Hammond and synth solo as if he’s creating a magical adventure before fading into the sunset.

The three bonus tracks are like more of the hidden pieces that were left inside the treasure. There is the mellowing groove on Set Yourself Free, Graham’s tribute to the Thames on his Rhodes and Church Organ as Frank helps out on the Bass melody with the ambient and symphonic beauty The River, and going into a Blues 12-bar rhythm to close it off for Spring.

The 15-page booklet features liner notes by Sid Smith that includes an interview with Graham Field about the making of the lost second album and features an amazing artwork of a city and one picture of the band featuring Frank Farrell. Esoteric Recordings have done a wonderful job releasing this unseen gem and if you love their sole self-titled debut album, then this is the one worth exploring next to see why they were ahead of their time and brought the essence of Symphonic, Jazz, and Classical Prog like no other.  

Veratum - Mondi Sospesi

Formed seven years ago in their hometown of Bergamo, Veratum are a quartet and have released a demo, their first album Sentieri Dimenticati released in 2012, and this year with Mondi Sospesi on the Beyond Productions label. This is my first time listening to the band’s music and again I’ll admit this, I’m not a huge Black and Death Metal fan, but Veratum have really brought the elements of Symphonic Black Metal with an orchestral vibe on here.

It starts off with a ominous timpani militant intro in the style of Gustav Holst’s Planets suite and then it becomes a heavy intro between guitar riffs and drums that is in the style of an epic and dramatic score before kicking off into a high maximum level gear with the growling and death vocals. And once the vocals hit, you know that something intense and ferocious is about to happen.

There are eight compositions on Mondi Sospesi and each of the tracks are blistering heavy black metal with a rapid beat between the guitar lines and the drum beats that go almost like a machine gun reigning bullets out of nowhere that sets the tempo to a higher pace. At times there are some clean vocals in there and not to mention a Bass solo thrown in that is unexpected that made my jaw drop to the floor.

The combinations between Symphonic, Black, and Death Metal, are a twisted combination. But all of a sudden, somehow, it works strangely enough to give it that pummeling edge of a sword ready to go into full speed. The solos themselves are at an increasing measure followed by a bit of the spoken dialogue that’s on the album. Not to mention bits of the synths going in an ambient/atmospheric sound.

Mondi Sospesi almost sounds like a score to an action-packed epic horror film that would have given 300 a chance to bow down to a terrifying movie and Veratum themselves would have given it the edge of your seat to moviegoers on being terrified and wowed in excitement for a headbangers galore! Veratum are an amazing band to come out this year to the sounds of Symphonic Black Metal and if you are ready for the soundtrack inside your head, this is the album worth checking out.

The Unchaining - lthilien

This is a very interesting combination between the sounds of Ambient/Atmospheric music and Black Metal rolled up into one. From Gorizia, Italy, The Unchaining is one of the one-man band’s that have carried those two genres which is evidential on lthilien. This is their fourth album released this year and it is an epic mythological album with the inspirations of the stories from J.R.R. Tolkien that fits unexpectedly well.

It starts off with a climate dropping of the water dripping element inside the cavernous cave from the keyboards. It has an ominous tone as if someone is lurking behind the shadows waiting for the creature for its surprise attack on its prey as if it was lunchtime for them. Then all of a sudden, it changes into a nightmare that makes it a perfect way to start it all off with a dooming bang.

I just love how the Guitars and Drums go at a different rate because it has a slowed-down rhythm, but the pace the instruments along with the snarling vocals, goes into wonderful and terrifying results. Not to mention the usages of the Church Organ and mourning horn sections that sets the tone for an epic film score at times.

With pummeling beats followed by epic scores done by the keyboard that is the setting for one of the Tolkien’s stories of Mordor as if it was set during before and after the events of the Lord of the Rings trilogy that the master himself, would have appreciated for the battle sequences and confrontations with an action vibe.

This took a lot of listening for me to listen to during the Passover and Easter holiday which was a perfect day to really sink into the music of The Unchaining. And I have to say, I was really impressed of The Unchaining’s music. Surroundings of Atmospheric Black Metal with an Epic score, really gives it the mighty push and pull to see where the direction might go into next for the one-man band. So my recommendation, is turn to this up at a maximum volume. And experience the levels of the stories of Tolkien and the Unchaining’s Ithilien.

Van Der Graaf Generator - After the Flood: Van Der Graaf Generator at the BBC 1968-1977

Being a music geek myself, has always been searching for hidden treasures that have always get me interested on bands that would be my cup of coffee. And the recommended albums that would take note on which to start off with and working your way up. And one of the bands that I’ve been a fan of for ten years since discovering their music on the Prog Archives website is, Van Der Graaf Generator.

Championed by Mark E. Smith of The Fall and John Lydon of the Sex Pistols/Public Image Ltd, Van Der Graaf Generator had more of a darker sound than what Genesis were doing. Peter Hammill’s lyrics dealt with dystopian stories, suicidal lighthouse keepers, monsters living at the bottom of the sea ready to attack on its prey, and the mindless army of the walking dead ready for war.

That and this 2-CD set which covers the BBC sessions they did for the late great John Peel in which he was an admirer and supporter of the band’s music on for sessions for Top Gear, John Peel Concert for BBC One, and a session on Sounds of the Seventies, shows VDGG at their peak when they went into a twisted and sinister level like no other! The 23-page booklet contains liner notes by Esoteric Recordings founder, Mark Powell talking about the history of the band and interview with Peter Hammill during their time for the BBC from 1968 to 1977.

When you listen to the CDs, you can close your eyes and yourself sitting in the audience during one of the Peel sessions being in awe and stunned of what was happening before your very eyes. The blaring of David Jackson’s sax with a screeching attack, Hugh Banton’s dooming and eruptive keyboard work, Guy Evans going into a ripping groove on his drumkit, and Peter Hammill nailing it on his vocals almost at times using the Dalek voice as if they had recorded a score for one of the episodes of Doctor Who.

Unlike other Progressive Rock bands that were ridiculed as dinosaurs, Van Der Graaf’s music was like a volcano waiting to erupt at the right moment at the right time for Hugh and David to hit the right note at the exact spot to go into total annihilation. From the psychedelic touches and militant beat of People You Were Going To, Afterwards, and the Necromancer,to the attacking exploding notes coming down at you with reining roars of Man-Erg and Killer.

Choosing the life of betrayal, but not the direction you want to go in on Darkness (11/11), the Girl promising you a way out, but there’s a dark side to her that he doesn’t know about like something out of Edgar Allen Poe on When She Comes, their mind-blowing take of George Martin’s fanfare for the BBC of Theme One, and the hope for finding old friends lost in the utopian world without a home as Refugees.

But the daring versions of Sleepwalkers, Cat's Eyes/Yellow Fever, the split personalities for the Masks, and the abridged version of A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers, makes it a crowning achievement. I had a blast listening to the 2-CD set and the quality is from “A” to “B”. And I bet it was a painstaking process for a restoration on the sessions, but if you are a true admirer of VDGG, then this you need in your collection worth exploring how much they were overlooked and ahead of their time.  

Points North - Points North

Whether it’s a band or an artist that would sparkle a little light in my ears, I know it’s going to be an adventure for me. And one of the bands that have the sounds of the sparkle is Points North. The band have a huge following in the West Coast area in California for opening bands such as UFO, The Aristocrats, Michael Schenker, The Winery Dogs, and Al Di Meola to name a few.

With a melodic and instrumental rock rhythm to their sound, Points North have taken me by surprise. The band considers guitarist Eric Barnett who was a finalist in the Superstar competition in 2008’s Guitar Player magazine, Uriah Duffy on Bass from Whitesnake, and Kevin Aiello on drums. They have a dosage of Prog, Jazz Fusion, and Hard Rock rolling into one giant milkshake to enjoy serving.

This is their follow up to their 2012 debut, Road Less Traveled, and this is their sole self-titled second album released this year on Magna Carta Records. This is also my introduction to the band’s music. And from the moment I put the album on from start to finish, I knew right away Points North have just blew the door down with a cannonball at the right moment with an opening track just hits you with a blistering introduction for the ride of your lifetime for Ignition.

With intense riffs, drumming, and thundering bass line, the band are driving down the highway with a harder vibration. And it also resembles the elements between Rush’s Moving Pictures-era and The Mahavishnu Orchestra’s Inner Mounting Flame through different time changes by going from fast to mellow mid-tempo rhythms that have unexpectedly make it a staggering opener to kick things off with a big bang.

Uriah comes in center stage as he takes his Bass into higher levels with the rising and ascending beats towards the Northstar. His Bass playing is a journey into the world of music as he goes through the sounds of Geddy Lee and Stanley Clarke while Colorblind introduces vocals for the first time, pays homage to the British Steel-era of Judas Priest that shows that the trio can knock it out with a homerun anthem.

The 7-minute epic Turning Point (La Villa De Villers) shows Points North going into a driven and erupt sound that go back into the realms of Rush’s glory days in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s. It feels almost as if the trio could have recorded this during the Hemispheres sessions. There are touches of Prog, Hard, and Melodic Rock thrown into the passages and the midsection shows a relaxing side on the highway before kicking back into the fast mileage for a finale on the last few minutes.

On both Foxes & Cougars and the roaring closer, Killer Pounder, it’s a trip back in time of the ‘70s hard rock sounds that makes you crank up the radio to a maximum level. With a blues-rock and Zeppelin-sque touch on the two pieces, I could imagine the trio are having a great time with this song filled with guitars cranking it up through the rhythm and riffs, drums going into different areas and unexpected bass lines, that will have jaws dropping at the exact moment.

This is my fourth time listening to their second album. I was blown away the moment I put it on and was on the edge of my seat and Uriah, Eric, and Kevin have done an excellent job creating the dynamics in their instruments. And astoundingly, they are the real thing to explore into their music and get ready for an undertaking voyage with Points North.

Here is a video of the band performing one of their pieces, Ignition from the album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzrhkEvXYak&feature=youtu.be

Ut Gret - Ancestors' Tale

I’ve been a champion of labels such as Cuneiform, MoonJune, and Esoteric to name a few. And there’s one label that has been around for ten years and that is the AltrOck label which is founded by Marcello Marinone and Francesco Zago. I first became aware of the label when I was watching the documentary of Jose Zegarra Holder and Adele Schmidt’s second documentary of the Romantic Warriors documentary covering the Rock in Opposition movement (RIO) and I knew I became hooked into the label right from the start in 2013.

And one of the bands that have taken me by surprise this year along with La Coscienza Di Zeno, Alco Frisbass, Not a Good Sign, and Yugen to name a few is a group from Louisville, Kentucky named Ut Gret. They are band that have been around since the ‘80s and they have this strange combination of Free Jazz, Rock in Opposition, and Medieval music rolled into one giant hot and spicy burrito and two milkshakes to enjoy for lunch.

This is the band’s fourth album and despite the various line-up changes, it considers; Jackie Royce on Bassoon, Contra-Basoon, and Flute, Stevie Roberts on Keyboards, Samplers, Marimba, and Vibraphones, Gary Pahler on Drums and Percussion, Steve Good on Clarinet and Bass Clarinet, and Joee Conroy on Guitar, Chapman Stick, Fretless Bass, Acoustic 12-String, and Electronics. And not to mention Cheyenne Mize on Vocals and Violin, Sydney Simpson on Double Bass, and Gregory Acker on Sax, Flute, Percussion, and Didgeridoo.

There are 10 compositions on the album and the band really do a lot of improvisations throughout their music with difficult time changes that had the hair on the back of my neck go up. They take those elements of the three genres combined also with the Canterbury scene that makes it well checked and well done. I can hear the sounds of King Crimson, Soft Machine in which one of the tracks is a tribute to the late, great Hugh Hopper, Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica-era, Univers Zero, and of course not to mention, Gryphon and it’s perfect inspirations that makes the tracks an adventure into those wondering touches.

I also love their usage of the Mellotron in which the mysterious captures the essences on the instrumental pieces and of course the Bassoon in which Jackie Royce is channeling the sounds of UZ’s Michel Berckmans. It creates the tension for the dramatic moments to create the atmosphere and almost like a film score for Bunuel’s short films and the touches of Chamber and Prog, can be a darker and tense motion that will shivers down your spine that will see where they would go into next.

I had a great time listening to Ut Gret’s Ancestors' Tale. And I’ll admit, it’s not an easy album to listen to. And with a couple of listens about two times, they really capture those elements have done something out of the ordinary. And with the genres of Medieval, Classical, RIO, and Jazz. So if you are ready to explore the sounds of the four touches, then look no further and enjoy the adventures of Ut Gret’s fourth album. You will not be disappointed to have a Burrito and a Milkshake to listen to.   

Twilight Motion - The Blind Eye

Since their formation seven years ago, Twilight Motion is for me, one of the most captivating electronic bands to come out of France. With a dosage of Trip Hop and Industrial music rolled into one excellent smoothie beverage, they really brought the concept and ideas to the table and almost produce a soundtrack for the 22^nd century on what is about to come next.

That and their second album released this year called The Blind Eye in which it is a follow up to their 2011 debut Dark City, Twilight Motion have released an advanced yet visionary integrity that the group have done. With all of the samples and loops filled with Bass, Drums, and the Keyboard Machines to go together into one area, you can quite expect what you will hear from the moment you listen to their second album, to be prepared for something out of the ordinary that will make your eyebrows light up!

The trio considers Etienne Rousseau on Keyboards/Machines, Julien Nourtier on Drums/Machines, and Francis Lambert on Bass/Machines. And you can quite imagine Twilight Motion writing a score for a sci-fi film that would be on the edge of your seat and the album itself is the ultimate trip worth exploring into.

With the electronic sounds going into hyper speed overdrive, twisted/ominous atmospheres, erupted yet increasing maximum power, the trio really go in a higher level showing no sign of stopping to see where the car is going to take them into which part of the pieces they will embark on next in their compositions. It can be at times chaotic and right in front of your face to have your jaws completely dropped to the floor with some unexpected moments that will make you get ready for an adventure you will never forget.

As each of the beats have different per minutes, Twilight Motion have created wonders with some brainstorming ideas and they have nailed it down. This is my fourth time listening to The Blind Eye, and it took a good while to get into. And then on the third time I listened to it, I was hooked in from the moment I listened to the album from beginning and right into the very end.

Now I have to admit, I’m not a wild Trip Hop & Industrial music fan, but this is a band that really put me on the edge of my seat almost like a roller-coaster ride filled with mind-blowing music. And while this my introduction to Twilight Motion’s music, this album as I’ve mentioned earlier in my introduction, a soundtrack to the 22^ndcentury and very much as if they could have done a score to a dystopian sci-fi film that would have given Ridley Scott’s approval.

So if you are ready for an adventure of Electronic, Trip Hop, and Industrial music, then buckle your seatbelts for an excellent yet thrilling ride of Twilight Motion.